The Central Weather Bureau is likely to issue a sea alert once a tropical depression system off the nation’s coast turns into a tropical storm, bureau officials said yesterday, adding that central and southern areas could see extremely heavy rainfall.
According to the bureau, the tropical depression system formed southwest of Taiwan at about 8am yesterday and was moving north toward the nation, with a great chance of becoming a tropical storm as it was surrounded by warm sea water with high humidity.
The first sea alert would be issued as soon as the tropical depression evolves into a tropical storm, the bureau added.
Weather Forecast Center analyst Wu Wan-hua (伍婉華) said the bureau is closely monitoring the development of the system.
Whether the system will turn into a tropical storm or a typhoon that could affect the nation depends on its path of movement, Wu said.
Bureau forecaster Lin Ding-yi (林定宜) said that Hengchun Peninsula (恆春半島) residents as well as those living in the southeast, Green Island (綠島) and Lanyu (蘭嶼, also known as Orchid Island), should be aware of the possibility of heavy to extremely heavy rainfall today and tomorrow.
The chance of heavy rainfall is high in the mountainous areas in central and southern Taiwan, it added.
The bureau said that chances of showers and thundershowers would be high nationwide under the joint influence of a strong convection system and a southwest wind.
Residents in central, southern and southeastern Taiwan are likely to experience continuous rainfall as well, it added.
The bureau also forecast that stronger wind from the southwest will in turn increase the chances of showers and thundershowers from Tuesday to Thursday next week, adding that the rest of the country should also heed isolated showers or thundershowers as well.
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